Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Labor was nothing like Daisy expected.

And considering she was literally a doctor, that felt mildly insulting.

She understood the medical side.

The stages. The contractions. The procedures.

None of that prepared her for actually experiencing it.

Hours passed in a blur.

Pain. Breathing. Encouragement.

Harper stayed beside her the entire time.

Noah came and went with updates from Poppy and Theo.

Nurses checked monitors.

Doctors reassured her.

And still labor continued.

By the time the nurse finally smiled and said,

"Okay Daisy, it's time to start pushing,"

she was exhausted beyond words.

Everything hurt.

Her back.

Her legs.

Her dignity.

"I can't do this," she breathed.

"Yes you can," Harper said immediately.

"You've had two children. Your opinion doesn't count right now."

Despite everything, Harper laughed.

The room was ready.

The doctor moved into position.

The nurses prepared around them.

Outside the hospital windows, Manhattan glittered deep into the night.

Inside, Daisy's entire world had narrowed down to one thing.

Meeting her daughter.

"Alright," the doctor said gently. "With the next contraction, I need you to push."

From the corner of the room came Theo's voice.

"Oh my God."

Everyone turned.

Theo looked traumatised.

Poppy looked equally concerned.

"Is the baby coming out now?" she asked.

Another contraction hit.

Hard.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Daisy gasped.

That was enough for Noah.

"Okay!" he announced immediately. "Kids, we're leaving."

"But I want to see the baby!" Poppy protested.

"Nope."

Theo looked pale.

"I've seen enough."

Harper burst out laughing.

"Out."

Noah quickly ushered both children into the hallway while Theo continued loudly complaining.

"I think the baby is winning!"

The door closed behind them.

And suddenly everything became very real.

Another contraction built.

The doctor nodded.

"Push."

Daisy did.

Everything blurred after that.

Voices echoed around her.

"Good."

"Again."

"That's it."

"You're doing amazing."

Harper never let go of her hand.

"You've got this."

Daisy honestly thought she might die.

Then came another push.

And another.

The pressure built.

The room encouraged.

The doctor smiled.

"I can see her head."

Emotion hit Daisy so suddenly she almost cried.

Her.

A daughter.

A real little girl.

Not a scan.

Not a heartbeat.

Not a kick against her ribs.

Her daughter.

"One more big push, Daisy."

One more.

Daisy gathered every ounce of strength she had left.

Then pushed.

And suddenly—

A cry.

Tiny.

Sharp.

Beautiful.

The entire room froze.

For one impossible second all Daisy could hear was her baby crying.

Tears filled her eyes instantly.

"Oh my God," Harper whispered.

The nurse carefully lifted the baby.

Dark hair.

Tiny fists.

Pink cheeks.

Perfect.

"Congratulations," the doctor said warmly. "You have a beautiful little girl."

Daisy burst into tears.

Actual uncontrollable tears.

Because suddenly she was real.

After months of scans.

Months of waiting.

Months of wondering.

Her daughter was here.

"Baby Lillie," Harper whispered tearfully.

The nurse carefully placed the baby onto Daisy's chest.

Warm.

Tiny.

Perfect.

Lillie immediately settled against her mother, making small sleepy noises.

Daisy looked down at her through tears.

"Oh baby."

Tiny fingers curled against her hospital gown.

A tiny heartbeat fluttered beneath her cheek.

And just like that—

everything changed.

The fear.

The uncertainty.

The loneliness.

None of it mattered anymore.

Because Lillie was here.

Harper wiped tears from her face beside the bed.

"She's beautiful."

Daisy laughed softly through her tears.

"She has so much hair."

Dark hair.

Roman's hair.

The thought appeared unexpectedly.

A tiny piece of him sleeping against her chest.

A few minutes later the door opened again.

Noah peeked inside first.

"Safe?"

Daisy laughed.

"Yeah."

Poppy rushed in immediately.

"Oh my God."

Theo followed more cautiously.

The moment he saw the baby, he stopped.

"She's tiny."

Poppy looked completely in love already.

"She's so cute."

Theo squinted suspiciously.

"Why is she wrinkly?"

Lillie immediately let out another tiny cry.

Everyone laughed.

Even Daisy.

Exhausted.

Emotional.

Completely overwhelmed.

The nurse stepped closer.

"Would you like us to take her for a few minutes while we finish checking you over?"

Daisy's arms tightened instinctively around her daughter.

"No."

The answer came instantly.

The nurse smiled knowingly.

Daisy looked back down at baby Lillie sleeping peacefully against her chest.

And for the first time in her life—

Daisy Miller felt completely certain about something.

She could do this.

Because she was finally a mother. ❤️

The next morning, sunlight spilled softly through the hospital room windows.

Daisy barely noticed.

She hadn't slept much.

Not because Lillie had cried.

Because she couldn't stop looking at her.

Every tiny sound.

Every little stretch.

Every sleepy yawn.

Daisy watched all of it.

Lillie lay peacefully in the bassinet beside her bed.

Tiny.

Perfect.

Real.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

Before Daisy could answer, it opened.

Then another knock.

Then another.

She laughed.

Word had clearly spread.

Within minutes her room was full of coworkers.

Doctors.

Nurses.

Technicians.

People she'd worked beside for years.

Every single one carrying gifts.

"You made a human," one nurse announced.

Daisy laughed.

"Apparently."

Everyone crowded around the bassinet.

Admiring tiny fingers.

Tiny toes.

Tiny yawns.

The entire room melted instantly.

Hours later, after what felt like endless paperwork, checks, and instructions, Daisy was finally cleared to go home.

Harper appeared carrying enough bags for a month-long vacation.

Noah had the car ready.

Poppy wanted to hold the baby again.

Theo was already telling people he had personally helped deliver her.

None of that surprised anyone.

Carefully carrying Lillie in her car seat, Daisy left the hospital.

The journey home felt surreal.

She'd arrived pregnant.

She was leaving a mother.

When they reached her apartment building, Marcus the doorman spotted her immediately.

His face lit up.

"Dr. Miller!"

Daisy smiled.

Marcus stepped forward.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

He looked down at the car seat.

"Oh wow."

Like everyone else, he immediately melted.

Lillie had that effect on people.

The elevator ride felt strangely emotional.

When the apartment door finally opened, Daisy stepped inside carrying her daughter.

Home.

For the first time.

Without thinking, she headed straight for the nursery.

Sunlight streamed through the windows.

The crib stood waiting.

The rocking chair sat in the corner.

Everything looked exactly as she'd imagined.

Only now there was actually a baby.

Carefully she lifted Lillie from the car seat and laid her gently in the crib.

The tiny pink blanket rose and fell with each breath.

Daisy stood there staring.

Unable to look away.

Eventually Harper appeared in the doorway.

"You need to eat."

"I'm fine."

"You haven't eaten properly in two days."

Fair.

A few minutes later Daisy found herself sitting on the couch with a sandwich in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

Harper had made both.

Because of course she had.

For a while they sat in comfortable silence.

The nursery monitor resting between them.

Then Harper smiled softly.

"She's perfect."

Daisy looked toward the nursery door.

A smile appearing automatically.

"Yeah."

And for the first time since this journey began—

everything felt exactly as it should. ❤️